Chris Janson Opens Up About 'Real Friends,' Reveals Favorite Song on Album

Chris Janson 'Real Friends' Album Cover Art

Real Friends follows Janson's 2017 album Everybody, and showcases 13 new songs including lead single "Good Vibes" in addition to other previously-released songs "Done," "Say About Me" and "Watin' on 5." The album also includes a collaboration with Blake Shelton on the title track "Real Friends," and another version of "Say About Me" featuring rapper Offset.

Janson tells iHeartRadio that he made them album at his home, which made writing and recording the LP that much more special. The country star explained of the album-making process, "I think the most special part of this whole process has been just working on the album and making it with my real friends and family, and doing it at my house, which is the coolest part. I didn't have to leave one time to go to a studio or anything. I just stayed at home and, I don't ever get any time at home, so being there is very precious as it is. Being there and working on my craft makes it that much more special, which is amazing. So it was a fun and easy process from start to finish."

Fans were first introduced to Real Friends with his single "Good Vibes," which came out of trying to remain positive in a studio session. Janson tells us, "'Good Vibes' we wrote, honestly, by throwing our hands up in the air and going 'good vibes only.' That's exactly what I said the day we were all kinda sitting around grumbling and complaining about this or that. We've got a lot to be thankful for when we wake up in the morning, so I figured, let's remember those times, guys. And, as soon as I said it, one of my co-writers, Zach [Crowell], he said, 'Oh, we've got to write that.' I said, 'Oh my gosh.' I'm always the first one to say, 'That'll probably never work,' but it did sound like a hit, so we just had some fun with it and went with it, and it worked."

He adds of the song and how its being received, "Fans [have] been reacting to 'Good Vibes' from the very beginning. They love the 'shut your mouth' part, which is my favorite part too. And, through social media and everything, it's just been a great hashtag campaign. 'Good Vibes,' I mean, it's a great reminder to self, too, to be honest with you. It's a great reminder as the singer and the songwriter, it goes so much further than just playing it for people and them reacting to it. It's honestly the way I react to it as well, so it's been a game changer all the way around. It's been one of my fastest moving singles, as well as my whole career. So, it's been really good, and I'm really thankful for it."

One of the more personal songs to Janson on Real Friends is a gorgeous love song written about his wife called "Done." In the song, he sings about seeing his wife for the first time and instantly knowing he wanted to marry her. Janson's wife, Kelly, also appears in the "Done" music video.

Chris tells us of the song, "'Done' is one of my favorite songs on this whole album, one of my favorite singles too. It's a true and honest love story about my wife and I. And I say 'Done' all the time. If you ask me [about] the first time that I saw her, I did say, 'I'm done, that's it. I'm marrying that girl.' And, it stuck with me, and I've been talking like that my whole life. And especially when I saw her, it was just a one-and-done thing."